Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mm

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mm

Viltrox
63 Overall Score
vs
Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

Canon
86 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mm

72 out of 100 medium confidence 20 reviews

The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 pancake lens is widely praised for its ultra-compact size, lightweight design, and excellent value, making it a favorite for street photography and travel. Users note it turns a full-frame camera into a highly portable setup, though the fixed f/4.5 aperture and lack of manual focus ring are limiting for some. Image quality is considered good for the price, but low-light performance and autofocus in dim conditions are common drawbacks. A few users reported a stuck rear lens cap or battery drain on certain Sony models, but overall sentiment is positive for its intended casual use.

Pros
  • Ultra-compact and lightweight design
  • Excellent value for the price
  • Great for street photography and travel
  • Sharp image quality for its class
  • Built-in lens cover
Cons
  • Fixed f/4.5 aperture
  • No manual focus ring
  • Poor low-light autofocus
  • Battery drain on Sony A5100
  • Stuck rear lens cap issue
👍 Portability 12
👍 Value for money 10
🤔 Image quality 8
👎 Fixed aperture 5
🤔 Autofocus performance 5
👎 Low light performance 4

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

78 out of 100 high confidence 98 reviews

The Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens is widely praised as a versatile all-in-one walk-around lens for APS-C cameras. Users consistently highlight its silent and smooth STM autofocus, effective image stabilization, and useful zoom range that covers wide-angle to short telephoto. While image quality is considered very good for a kit-level zoom, some reviewers note softness at extreme focal lengths, barrel distortion at 18mm, and a variable aperture that limits low-light performance. Build quality is described as mostly plastic but adequate, though the focus-by-wire manual ring and occasional stiff zoom ring draw criticism.

Pros
  • Silent and smooth STM autofocus
  • Effective image stabilization
  • Versatile 18-135mm zoom range
  • Good image quality for a kit lens
  • Lightweight and compact design
Cons
  • Softness at extreme focal lengths
  • Barrel distortion at 18mm
  • Variable aperture limits low-light use
  • Focus-by-wire manual ring
  • Plastic build feels cheap
👍 Autofocus performance 25
👍 Image quality 30
👍 Image stabilization 12
🤔 Build quality 15
👍 Zoom range versatility 22
👎 Low light performance 10

Scores

Portrait
Viltrox
63
Canon
96
Budget
Viltrox
62
Canon
93
Video Cinema
Viltrox
61
Canon
89
Street
Viltrox
71
Canon
81
Travel
Viltrox
66
Canon
80
Wildlife Sports
Viltrox
54
Canon
73
Landscape
Viltrox
60
Canon
72
Professional
Viltrox
68
Canon
72
Macro
Viltrox
62
Canon
69

Specifications

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mmCanon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Optics
Typeprimezoom
Focal Length Min28 mm18 mm
Focal Length Max28 mm135 mm
Elements616
Groups612
Aspherical Elements2★1
ED Elements2★1
Coatingmultilayer nanocoatingSuper Spectra Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/4.5f/3.5
Min Aperturef/4.53.5-5.6
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades67★
Build
MountSony ECanon EF-S
Formatfull-frame★APS-C
Weather Sealed✓★✗
Weight0.06 kg★0.52 kg
Filter Thread—67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocusNANO USM★
Stabilization✗✓★
Stabilization Stops—4 stops★
Focus
Min Focus Distance350 mm★390 mm
Max Magnification1:10★0.28x

Pros & Cons

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mm

  • Strong build (100th percentile)100th %ile
  • Strong social proof (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (16th percentile)16th %ile
  • Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (34th percentile)

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

  • Strong versatility (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong af (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
  • Strong stabilization (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong aperture (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (30th percentile)

Pricing

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mm

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

No current pricing available

Verdict

★ Winner: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

Scores 86 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 22 specs.

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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